At first glance, small talk is sort of unquestionably terrible. Even if you can’t wait to meet new people, who wants to talk about the weather?

But linguists and social scientists say small talk is no small thing: It’s not what you’re saying that matters, but the social function it serves.

And it doesn’t just make parties way less awkward — it could actually make you happier. Dr. Gillian Sandstrom, a psychologist at the University of Essex, noticed that “just saying hi to the lady at the hot dog stand” gave her a bounce in her step. She asked people to count their social interactions for six days and found that those who had more daily interaction with acquaintances were happier.

She followed up with a study at Starbucks, asking people to either talk to their baristas or get their coffee with maximum efficiency. Those who engaged in chit-chat were again happier. And people who broke the silence at the Tate Modern were in a better mood afterward and enjoyed the exhibit more. Even college students who talked to more classmates than usual felt happier at the end of the day.

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It’s not what you say that’s important in small talk. Aleksander Rubtsov / Blend Images via AP